Due to budget constraints, the 2010 SPB
Prevention and Restoration Grant’s thinning
incentive program has been suspended for FY
2010. We anticipate reopening the program
after October 1, 2010.
Contact your local Alabama Forestry
Commission office to keep current on the
status of this program. If you are unsure of
your local AFC County Office address or
phone number, look on the Alabama Forestry
Commission website at
www.forestry.alabama.gov and select the
county where your property is located to
access the AFC office information.
Alternatively, you may contact the state
Landowner Assistance Forester, Arthur Hitt,
at (334) 240-9323.
Once the program reopens financial
incentives will be available for a limited
time to help forest landowners in Alabama
protect pine forests from bark beetle
attacks. In the short term, these incentives
are designed to offset some of the costs of
SPB prevention measures. The long-term goal
is to reduce the susceptibility of Alabama
forests to future SPB outbreaks.
Federal funds from the U.S. Forest
Service and administered by the Alabama
Forestry Commission will be awarded to
qualified private landowners once the
approved thinning practices are completed.
Contact your local AFC office for sign-up
periods.
The southern pine beetle (SPB) is the
number one killer of pines in Alabama.
Unmanaged and overcrowded stands of loblolly
and shortleaf pines are susceptible to
attack. Epidemic populations of this bark
beetle occur virtually every year in
Alabama. Expanding populations, if not
controlled, may devastate entire forests
causing millions of dollars in damage.
Thinning of dense, slow-growing pine
stands will stimulate growth and vigor in
young stands and reduce the SPB hazard. To
qualify for federal funds, your pine stand
must have a SPB hazard rating above 140
points (medium) on the SPB Hazard Rating
Scale. Written approval must be received
from the Alabama Forestry Commission before
beginning a thinning practice. You must meet
certain program guidelines when implementing
the thinning activities. Priority ranking
will go to landowners who have not
participated in forestry cost share
programs, stands with a very high SPB Hazard
Rating, and tracts located within a mile of
a National Forest in Alabama.
Thinning practices and other requirements
for these incentive funds are:
-
Pre-commercial Thinning – this
practice is for pre-merchantable
loblolly or shortleaf pine stands 5-12
years old, with an average diameter
(DBH) of less than 5 inches and stocking
greater than 600 stems per acre.
-
First Thinning – this practice
is for commercial thinning of
merchantable loblolly or shortleaf pine
stands which are overstocked and have a
high SPB hazard rating and are at least
10 acres in size.
-
Borax Stump Treatment – this
practice is to prevent the spread of
Annosus Root Rot (ARR) on soil types
rated high for ARR Hazard. Thinning
during the hottest part of the summer
may help, but the surest method is to
apply Borax powder to freshly cut stump
surfaces.